Five Ways UV Radiation Is Damaging Your Car’s Interior
It’s a fact that excessive sun exposure harms the human skin. Similarly, UV radiation can damage your car’s interior. When the car is left under the sun for a considerable period, temperatures can rise to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Contrary to what many car owners think, the seats and dashboard are not the only interior components that are prone to UV radiation.
Whether you live in an area that experiences sunny weather or you only need UV protection in summer, you should guard your car’s interior against harmful rays. Installing a window tint on the car goes a long way in protecting your investment. UV radiation damages your car’s interior in the following five ways.
1. Leaves the Dashboard Looking Faded
When the sun shines brightly on a warm summer day, it’s hard to resist the temptation of rolling down your car windows or the soft top if you drive a convertible. However, it’s worth noting that the blazing sun can be bad for your car’s dashboard.
The potent combination of UV radiation from the sun and the extreme heat that builds up inside the car can significantly damage the dashboard. Repairing such damage is expensive because you will be forced to replace most dashboard components. On a typical sunny day, your vehicle’s dashboard bears the brunt of UV radiation since it is often the most exposed interior component.
The vehicle’s windshield further intensifies the dashboard’s exposure. As a result, the dash can quickly fade and lose its faultless appearance. Often, dashboard damage is manifested by splits or cracks due to intense heat, thus leaving the entire structure looking very unsightly. Getting a tint goes a long way in minimizing the dashboard’s UV exposure. This leaves it in good condition for years.
2. Upholstery Issues
With continued UV exposure, your car’s upholstery may begin to deteriorate. If you have leather seat upholstery, for instance, excess heat and sunlight dry out natural oils contained in the leather. They may start to dry out, stiffen, and crack. The leather covers used on car seats are often treated to resist sun damage. Nonetheless, this only delays the inevitable since the upholstery will still get damaged by UV radiation. Likewise, fabric upholstery may also start to dry out and rot as a result of the baking heat.
Sometimes, typical debris such as liquid or food spills combines with UV radiation to damage your car’s upholstery. For instance, food, dirt, and dust particles on the upholstery can leave permanent stains if they get baked to the material. Vacuuming out the interior helps remove the debris. Smaller debris can remain inside the car, and when exposed to direct UV rays, they lead to unsightly stains.
Keeping the car’s interior clean, and coating leather, fabric, and vinyl components using a silicone or fabric protectant doesn’t slow down the damage caused by UV exposure. The best way of keeping the upholstery looking new is by getting a high-quality tint that reduces the UV rays that penetrate the windows.
3. Rubber Weather Stripping Damage
Although they are not interior car components per se, the rubber weather stripping around the doors keep the interior habitable. The stripping prevents water, dust, air, and debris from entering the cabin, thus guaranteeing the comfort of car occupants.
When exposed to the sun, your car’s rubber weather stripping can suffer from sun rot. Apart from protecting the weather stripping using silicone-based protectants, tinting your car windows significantly enhances their durability. The rubber stripping gets exposed to UV rays that enter your car, thus the significance of getting a tint.
4. Damages Electrical Components
Your car’s electrical components are susceptible to damage if left exposed to unfiltered UV rays over a significant period. These include the radio, navigation system, and electrical connections under the dashboard or even on the floor of the vehicle.
With temperatures inside the car rising to 145 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day, exposed electrical components such as cable connectors and wires can expand inappropriately, crack, or even melt away. When wires are left exposed, the car’s electrical system can easily malfunction, thus necessitating costly repairs. Such damage can be prevented by tinting the windows to keep out harmful UV rays.
5. Safety Concerns
Apart from the visible signs of continued UV exposure, your car’s safety can also get compromised. High temperatures inside your car can damage its airbags and other safety systems. Components such as airbags are susceptible to damage if exposed to extreme warmth. With the entry of unfiltered UV rays into your cars, temperatures are bound to rise, thus damaging such components. Such damage causes safety risks, which can be life-threatening.
During the warm months of the year, temperatures often hit ridiculous levels. Therefore, you should be concerned about the interior of your vehicle. There isn’t a guarantee that you will always park the car under a shade. UV radiation damages not only the vehicle’s exterior but also its interior components. A sagging dash pad, faded upholstery, or malfunctioning rubber weather stripping are not only unsightly but quite expensive to replace. There is so much that you can do to mitigate heat and sun damage to your car’s interior.
Blocking out the dangerous UV rays should be your first line of defense as far as keeping the interior in good condition is concerned. Getting the car’s windows tinted reduces both heat transfer and UV exposure inside the vehicle. It prevents the dashboard, upholstery, steering wheel, and other interior components from literally becoming cooktops. Irrespective of where you stay, car window tinting is a simple and effective way of fending off harmful UV rays. Similarly, it makes your car look cooler besides ensuring your privacy from prying eyes.
When looking to get your car windows tinted, you should seek help from experienced tinting experts. These professionals understand the legal limits and restrictions relating to how dark a tinted window can be in your state. Likewise, they guarantee quality work at a reasonable cost. For personal and commercial window tinting services in Vancouver, WA, and Portland, contact Ultimate Window Tinting today.
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